At least seven mourners have been confirmed dead while 64 others sustained varying degrees of injuries in a fatal accident in the Asamankese area in the Eastern region. Starr News sources say the accident occurred at a place called Pinora in the West Akyem Municipality Thursday evening around 4:45pm when a Rhino Truck conveying mourners, […]

At least seven mourners have been confirmed dead while 64 others sustained varying degrees of injuries in a fatal accident in the Asamankese area in the Eastern region.

Starr News sources say the accident occurred at a place called Pinora in the West Akyem Municipality Thursday evening around 4:45pm when a Rhino Truck conveying mourners, mostly Youth, who were following the corpse of a young man whose body was being transported from the Asamankese Government Hospital morgue to a nearby town, Asuokaw crushed on the road.

At least seven persons including five (5) males and two (2) females who died at the spot have been deposited at the Asamankese Hospital morgue.

The scores of others who were injured in the accident are being treated at the hospital.

The first in the series of regional consultations by the Electoral Commission (EC) on the operationalisation of the Representation of the People Amendment Act (ROPAA) 2006 (Act 699), which gives Ghanaians in the diaspora the right to vote, began last Monday in Sekondi/Takoradi in the Western Region. The EC stakeholder engagements with participants from the […]

The first in the series of regional consultations by the Electoral Commission (EC) on the operationalisation of the Representation of the People Amendment Act (ROPAA) 2006 (Act 699), which gives Ghanaians in the diaspora the right to vote, began last Monday in Sekondi/Takoradi in the Western Region.

The EC stakeholder engagements with participants from the Western Region is in fulfilment of its constitutional mandate to implement the law.

Participants

The participants at the stakeholder engagement included a five-member EC ROPAA Committee team led by Dr Bossman Eric Asare, the EC Deputy Chairman in charge of Corporate Services; Dr Benjamin Kumbuor, a leading member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC); and Reverend Dr Ernest Adu Gyamfi of the National Peace Council.

Others are Professor Ransford Gyampo of the University of Ghana and Mr Kofi Akpaloo, leader of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), representing the other minority political parties.

Other political party representatives who participated were the New Patriotic Party (NPP), NDC, Convention People’s Party (CPP), Progressive People’s Party (PPP) and the People’s National Convention (PNC).

Representatives from the security services, civil society organisations, religious leaders, People with Disability (PWD), media practitioners and a section of the public also took part in the discussions.

Right to vote

Addressing the participants, Dr Asare stressed that the right to vote was not absolute and that one needed to justify why he or she must vote.

The chairman further explained that the issue of legality played a vital role in the ROPAA Act and, therefore, cautioned participants on the need to be careful to avoid the promotion of illegalities since it had the tendency of putting some Ghanaians in trouble.

The chairman of the committee also cautioned them to be mindful of the cost implication, which he said was a determining factor in deciding the number of registration centres that could be created.

Issues discussed

Some of the participants believed that the current ROPAA Act had the tendency of disenfranchising many qualified Ghanaians.

They also expressed what they called the growing trend of some non-Ghanaians acquiring Ghanaian passports.

The committee members, however, explained that there was an avenue to challenge any unqualified person who tried to register as a voter as was the case in Ghana.

On the issue of challenging applicants who wanted to register as voters, Dr Kumbuor cautioned against making the law fluid as loopholes might be created since the international scenario was different.

Other issues discussed were the appointment of registration and election officials, mode and frequency of registration, designs of registration forms, challenges at registration, handling registration challenges, petition against decisions of the overseas registration review committees and exhibition of the voters register.

The Western Region participants also discussed objection to inclusion of names on the register, handling objections, supply of copies of register of overseas voters to political parties, registration and election offences and punishment for breaches of registration and election rules.

A member of the committee, Mr Kofi Akpaloo, advised the EC to take into consideration the exact number of polling stations to be created.

]]>https://www.newswiregh.com/ec-begins-first-stakeholder-ropaa-engagement-in-western-region/feed/017585Portion of major Kumasi to Accra highway to be closed for repairshttps://www.newswiregh.com/portion-of-major-kumasi-to-accra-highway-to-be-closed-for-repairs/
https://www.newswiregh.com/portion-of-major-kumasi-to-accra-highway-to-be-closed-for-repairs/#respondWed, 20 Feb 2019 10:40:03 +0000https://www.newswiregh.com/?p=17433

The Konongo-Odumasi road, which is a stretch of the main Accra-Kumasi Highway will be closed temporarily to traffic due to structural defects. Authorities say they have detected huge gullies beneath the asphalted surface which pose a potential danger to road users. Close to the main Kumasi-Accra road at Akrantebesa in Konongo is this big, deep gully eating […]

The Konongo-Odumasi road, which is a stretch of the main Accra-Kumasi Highway will be closed temporarily to traffic due to structural defects.

Authorities say they have detected huge gullies beneath the asphalted surface which pose a potential danger to road users.

Close to the main Kumasi-Accra road at Akrantebesa in Konongo is this big, deep gully eating into the main road gradually.

Also, residents that live along that stretch of road have been ordered to evacuate to allow for work to begin immediately.

Residents’ concerns

Residents say the road defects began developing over five years ago and has since extended almost half into the main road.

They suspect illegal mining activities are to blame for the dangerous gullies.

“It was not this big; they used to do alluvial mining here, close to where the gully had developed. The water from the mine caused this gully,” a resident told Luv News.

Some residential structures have already been earmarked for demolition to facilitate the repair works.

This means residents must evacuate immediately but some of them are pleading for time, though they are happy about the effort to avert danger.

“Nobody will survive if there is an accident; we are ready to relocate because fixing the road is important to us”, another resident said.

It is unclear when the closure of the road will start but detours are being created to ease the traffic on the stretch of road during the repair works.

Some occupants of temporary structures near the stretch of the road earmarked for the repairs also want their structures to stand as work progress.

“We will leave but we cannot build new structures, so they should allow our structures to stand so we can re-occupy after the work is done,” a businessman appealed.

MCEs plea

Authorities have since moved in to fix the road and other bridges at Odumase Zongo Junction and the areas between Odumase and Konongo.

Municipal Chief Executive for Asante Akyem Central, Susan Akomeah, has pleaded with residents to relocate to pave way for the reconstruction of the broken bridges.

“If we do not repair that damage it is going to be a disaster which will not be locally but will be a national disaster because it is a major washout.

“We don’t want any accident to happen in those areas, we will plead with those along that area that has been marked with the red crosses to move immediately because work is about to start,” he said.

The affected place has been cordoned off by the contractor.

Mrs Akomeah says the contractor is ready to work, “so we should not put any impediment on the way so that they can carry out the work and move to the other two areas.”

Compensation

Often when construction of this nature starts, residents caught up in the area of construction are paid compensation.

But Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, says no compensation will be paid on property found on these repair-work paths.

He quotes the Executive Instrument (EI) 17 of 2004, “Under the Executive Instrument (EI) 17 of 2004, compensation was paid to all the people who were affected then, so all those who have reconstructed the demolished property and those who are erecting temporary structures rebuilding their temporary structures [will not be compensation again].”

According to the laws of the country, compensations are not paid for the same project twice so no compensations will be paid. Mr Osei Mensah says persons who commit their selves to erect any structure there does so at their own risk.

“The project cannot wait; we don’t want anybody’s property to be destroyed, so we want them in their own volition to move especially areas for diversion.”

The consultant for the project ABP Consult and the construction firm, Highbrains Company Limited, have both done their final inspection on the damaged areas.

Though a specific date of the completion of the project has not been given, officials believe it will be done as soon as possible if resident corporate and funds are made available.

Thirteen workers of Jerfix International Company were electrocuted while mounting billboards at Asikam, near Kyebi. Three of them, Kwadwo Wadasi, aged 25; Joshua Oboye, 20 and Agyei Taller, 40, were pronounced dead on arrival at the Kibi Government Hospital. The bodies of the deceased have been deposited at the mortuary of the hospital for autopsy and […]

The Eastern Regional Police Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent of Police Ebenezer Tetteh told the Ghana News Agency that the workers were mounting a billboard of a yet to be built vocational training school when it accidentally fell on a high tension cable resulting in the electrocution of the workers.

As part of measures to expand rural electricity infrastructure, thirty two (32) communities in the Ofoase Ayirebi Constituency in the Eastern Region have benefited from an electric extension program. Some of the beneficiary communities include Betenase, Bokor, Arkoh, Nkansah no.1, Amponsah, Sukuran, Pantinpa and Krofom. The rest are Yaw Nkran, Paawudu, Ayeboafo no.1 and 2, […]

As part of measures to expand rural electricity infrastructure, thirty two (32) communities in the Ofoase Ayirebi Constituency in the Eastern Region have benefited from an electric extension program.

Some of the beneficiary communities include Betenase, Bokor, Arkoh, Nkansah no.1, Amponsah, Sukuran, Pantinpa and Krofom. The rest are Yaw Nkran, Paawudu, Ayeboafo no.1 and 2, Wawase, Nii Quaye and Boatemaa among others.

The Member of Parliament for Ofoase Ayirebi Constituency who is also the Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah led a team made up of the District Chief Executive of Akyemansa, Hon. Paul Asamoah, NPP executives in the constituency as well as officials of the Electricity Company of Ghana to commission the projects in the communities.

The ECG officials educated the people in the communities on the use of electricity and how to avoid high cost of power.

The MP told Journalists the provision of electricity to these communities was in fulfilment of his campaign promise in the 2016 general elections.

“Our President, Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo is fulfilling his campaign promises to the good people of Ghana. And that is exactly what we are also doing here in the constituency. We promised to help these communities get electricity during our last election campaign and that promise has been fulfilled in two year” he said.

Mr. Nkrumah expressed excitement about the achievement since it was going to bring growth and development to the beneficiary communities.

He said “school children can now study at night and pass their exams, mothers, wives and market women can now use electricity to preserve their food stuffs and grow their businesses”.

“We are not done with the projects. Many of these communities have other requests including the provision of portable water, good roads and toilet facilities. We will ensure these projects become a reality in the coming years” he told reporters at Betenase, one of the beneficiary communities.

At Betenase, the Mmbrantiehene Nana Kofi Addo who spoke on behalf of the chief praised the MP and the NPP government for providing electricity to the town and pledged to ensure the people in his town do not abuse it.

“We will use the electricity for income generating activities to improve our living standards and contribute towards national development” said the Mmbrantiehene.

Nana Kofi Addo appealed to government to set up computer laboratories in schools following the provision of electricity to enable students perform well in ICT examinations.

The Ofoase Ayirebi legislator also commissioned a new market facility for the chiefs and people of Otabil, a farming community in the constituency and inspected work on the Akokoaso health facility which is almost 90% complete.

Menzgold customers have launched another demonstration in the Western regional town, Tarkwa, as they continue the push to retrieved locked-up investments in a business now described as a Ponzi scheme. This is the second demonstration in the last 50 days after staging one in the Ashanti regional capital, Kumasi on January 8, 2019. Numbering a staggering 500, […]

Menzgold customers have launched another demonstration in the Western regional town, Tarkwa, as they continue the push to retrieved locked-up investments in a business now described as a Ponzi scheme.

This is the second demonstration in the last 50 days after staging one in the Ashanti regional capital, Kumasi on January 8, 2019.

Numbering a staggering 500, the clients in red T-Shirts marched the streets with their placards pointing blame on government and state institutions for failing to help them get their money back.

Their placards threatened government over the 2020 elections, roped in the Asantehene who was pictured receiving Menzgold CEO Nana Appiah Mensah in Manhyia Palace in April 2018.

They also targeted the Peace Council, an institution usually concerned with the implications of politics on the country’s peace and security.

But in their justification, the clients have said in a petition to the Peace Council, the continued failure of the state to help them retrieve their monies has implications for peace.

In a more chilling testament to this, one placard read, “our money, our blood.” In the last demonstration, some protesters claimed they were ready to die if that is what it takes to get their monies back.

Their placards reserved space for anger at the apparently unforgotten comments by the Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta in November 2018 describing the clients as motivated by greed.

The National Chief Imam also got special mention on their placards.

Although risk analysts believe their monies are gone forever, the disgruntled customers still hope against all hope even though one of them called Ghana “a hopeless country.”

The new centre for their anger, Tarkwa has some 9,000 clients, organisers claim lending some credence to comments made by former CEO of Minerals Commission Dr. Tony Aubynn.

He pointed out in September 2018, if Menzgold were to collapse, there will be a national funeral and “maybe the biggest funeral will happen in my hometown Tarkwa,” explaining virtually all entrenched workers in mining companies in the area have investments at Menzgold.

Five persons have died while six others sustained various degrees of injuries in a fatal accident at Adoagyir, a suburb of Nsawam in the Eastern Region. The bodies of the deceased – three females and two males – have been deposited at the Nsawam Government Hospital Morgue. The accident occurred Thursday evening at about 21:00 […]

Five persons have died while six others sustained various degrees of injuries in a fatal accident at Adoagyir, a suburb of Nsawam in the Eastern Region.

The bodies of the deceased – three females and two males – have been deposited at the Nsawam Government Hospital Morgue.

The accident occurred Thursday evening at about 21:00 pm when a Rhino KIA truck with registration number GES 3695-18 transporting bags of sachet water driving from Adeiso to Nsawam lost control of the steering wheel and hit a Mazda Taxi cab before running into the victims who were part of customers at a fast food joint buying fried rice killing the five on the spot.

It is not clear what exactly led to the gory accident, but it is believed the driver failed break.

]]>https://www.newswiregh.com/five-killed-in-nsawam-accident/feed/016950Sefwi-Wiawso named capital of Western North Regionhttps://www.newswiregh.com/sefwi-wiawso-named-capital-of-western-north-region/
https://www.newswiregh.com/sefwi-wiawso-named-capital-of-western-north-region/#respondFri, 15 Feb 2019 15:26:44 +0000https://www.newswiregh.com/?p=16806

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has named Sefwi Wiawso as the capital of the newly created Western North Region. The president made the declaration shortly after midday on Friday during a ceremony to present the Constitutional Instrument (CI) 117 to the Omanhene of the Sefwi Anhwiaso Traditional Area, Ogyeahohoo Yaw Gyebi II, who is also […]

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has named Sefwi Wiawso as the capital of the newly created Western North Region.

The president made the declaration shortly after midday on Friday during a ceremony to present the Constitutional Instrument (CI) 117 to the Omanhene of the Sefwi Anhwiaso Traditional Area, Ogyeahohoo Yaw Gyebi II, who is also President of the Western Regional House of Chiefs at the Jubilee House, Accra.

“I’m delighted to welcome you all to Jubilee House, the seat of our nation’s presidency. For you, Nananom and members of the delegation from Western North Region, today must be a very happy day, and I dare say for myself too”, said President Akufo Addo shortly before he presented the CI to the leader of the Western North regional delegation.

The new region brings to 15, the number of regions in the country, with the expected inauguration of the sixteenth and final one Friday afternoon, the Oti Region.

In an address at the Golden Jubilee House shortly before signing the attestation to the creation of the new region, President Akufo-Addo bemoaned the underdevelopment of the area in spite of its rich natural resources.

He said the area had fewer schools with no tertiary institution, stressing that government will work to improve the lots of the area.

A 36-year-old man has been found dead near the Kumasi Racecourse market in the Ashanti Region, with his throat slit.Charles Ayirika’s body was found at the bank of the Subin River close to the Racecourse market in the morning of St. Valentine’s Day, Thursday, 14 February 2019.The khebab seller was murdered a few metres away […]

A 36-year-old man has been found dead near the Kumasi Racecourse market in the Ashanti Region, with his throat slit.

Charles Ayirika’s body was found at the bank of the Subin River close to the Racecourse market in the morning of St. Valentine’s Day, Thursday, 14 February 2019.

The khebab seller was murdered a few metres away and dragged to the bank of the river. Blood stains were seen on the route to where his remains were dumped.

A knife with blood stains was also found at a spot where the assailants were suspected to have committed the murder, some traders told Class News’ Ashanti regional correspondent Elisha Adarkwah.

A brother to the deceased, Enoch Ayamga said Ayirika left the Racecourse where they sell khebab the previous evening together with his other brothers, to Abrepo Junction where they reside. He said he did not know when the deceased returned to the market and got murdered.

Mr Ayamga said his late brother had no problem with anybody for which he would be killed.

The necessary rituals have been performed by Otumfuo’s Sumankwahene, Baffour Asabre Kogyawoasu II and the body conveyed to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital morgue.

The families of the three kidnapped girls in the Western Region, together with traditional authorities and residents of Diabena and Kansawurodo have threatened to embark on a demonstration in the Sekondi Takoradi Metropolis dubbed “boot 4 boot” and “all-die-be-die” should the state fail to rescue their daughters before Monday. Michael Grant Hayford who spoke on behalf […]

The families of the three kidnapped girls in the Western Region, together with traditional authorities and residents of Diabena and Kansawurodo have threatened to embark on a demonstration in the Sekondi Takoradi Metropolis dubbed “boot 4 boot” and “all-die-be-die” should the state fail to rescue their daughters before Monday.

Michael Grant Hayford who spoke on behalf of the community said they wouldn’t need any protection from any security agency for this demonstration.

At a press conference, Thursday called for this purpose, the communities said previous assurances by the police to find the kidnapped girls have not worked.

Last year Priscilla Blessing Bentum, 21, Ruth Love Quayson, 18, and Priscilla Mintabiah-Korankyie, 15, were allegedly kidnapped and have since not been found.

Accusing the policy of pussyfooting, the communities further asserted that the police would have prioritized this investigation and possibly made great progress if those affected by the kidnapping were members of the government or some officials of the state.

Therefore they are calling on the President, Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo-Addo to intervene to avert the intended demonstration.

Speaking to Joy News, Queen mother of Diabena Nana Aba Essoun says they are running out of patience.

In a separate development, the Deputy Director General of CID, ACP George Tweneboah says the prime suspect, Samuel Udoetuk, who is in police custody, has mentioned one John Nweke, as the person keeping the missing girls.

This came to light during a press conference by the police administration to update the public on recent security concerns in the country.